Surge is final - Bush adding 21,500 troops to Iraq force

Unswayed by anti-war passions, President Bush will send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq and build the American presence there toward its highest level to quell worsening bloodshed.

The move puts Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress and runs counter to advice from some senior generals. After all the talk of bipartisanship after the midterms, Bush is finally doing what he wants and persisting with the 'surge' plan by putting more troops in harm's way in an already lost cause. Bush's approach amounts to a huge gamble on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's willingness — and ability — to deliver on promises he has consistently failed to keep: to disband Shiite militias, pursue national reconciliation and make good on commitments for Iraqi forces to handle security operations in Baghdad.